hello, i'm still here

Rell - Warframe he suffers while you dream

“Mm…” The Wolf rumbles, squinting at the other man. His expression is an enigma, and it’s not immediately clear if that was the right or the wrong answer. But then the Wolf shifts, resting the head of his hammer on the ground as he decides this conversation might be one worth having. Or at least that the company he’s having it with is agreeable enough.

“To survive,” He answers, and for a moment that seems to be all Rell is going to get from the Wolf, but he shifts again and adds, “To protect the Pack.”

Rell nods, that much he understands. After all, that’s why the Tenno fight--most of them, anyway. Of course, it’s also the mentality that lead to him being ostracized from the Tenno to begin with, so understanding doesn’t necessarily put him at ease.

Frihd looks rather uneasy at the sound of chains reaches his ears - as if he’s afraid of being lashed out against.

“It’s not your fault; you don’t have to be angry on my behalf. I’ve already felt that all too much.” He shifts on his feet and stares down at his boots for a brief moment. “The Perrin Sequence took me out of the laboratories and let me start my life over, which.. Well, that’s a fate that not all Corpus or Solaris have.”

“But if the debtees ever find me, they’re sure to take me back in and ‘retrieve’ the parts that they stuck into me.”

If Harrow had a jaw, it’d be clenched tight. Instead, the frame moves as if breathing heavily, the emotions coming on too strong, despite Frihd’s request. It’s no one’s fault; Rell just has trouble regulating these things.

To be honest, the Wolf wasn’t sure what to do when presented with an operator. He was aware of them, of course, but only as confusing and flickering forms in the heat of battle. Never once had he been able to see one so close. To really understand what they are.

It didn’t change his disposition much, but he did recognize the gesture for what it was. Operators weren’t powerless and it never seemed to be possible to actually kill them, but it was clearly meant to be a gesture like a dog rolling over to expose its belly.

“Curious Rell,” The Wolf rumbles, assessing the situation, coming to a decision on how he wants to proceed. While he doesn’t relax completely, he does lower his weapon slightly, and take on the closest thing to a relaxed stance he has around those not in his pack.

“One chance. Ask.”

“Oh...” The pressure, while this is a situation entirely of Rell’s own creation, suddenly hits him. Only one question? How is he supposed to pick on such short notice?

Momentarily frozen, his form flickers and he struggles to find his voice. “Mmm...” He hums, calling to mind his donda, then looks up at the Wolf. Considers what he knows. He knows about wolves and packs. He’s seen hunting parties in the Zariman 10-0...

He knows about Grineer--warmongers, but not all bad. He knows about Alad V and the Corpus, the last vestiges of the Orokin elite clinging to their power. And he knows about violence. All the blood and fire of the system is distasteful to Rell, but he’s learned from the Red Veil that it is necessary much of the time.

Aha.

Frihd takes a brief moment to take a heavy breath. Right. That’s what most Tenno saw - the resemblance to a warframe. Personally, he saw it more like the helmet of.. Say, a scrambus, or comba, but the Tenno typically saw otherwise.

Though, that doesn’t help as a feeling of anxiety starts to build up in his chest.

“It’s- It’s not actually a warframe. I.. Uh..” He clears his throat, before reaching up to rub at his neck.      “When I couldn’t pay my debts in time, the Taxmen put me up for repossession. Though, instead of repossession, they..   Asapjasapep-  Amalgamated me, with components auctioned off after the endeavors in the Zanuka project.”

He pauses for a moment, before reaching up towards that helmet. After a few deliberate motions and taps, he lifts it off to take a proper breath of the air, before glancing off to the side.

“The Corpus Board of Directors firmly believes that evolution is the way for the market to stray away from stagnation.   I have my doubts about that.”

His hands clench. There’s a faint sound of chains rattling, but nothing actually happens. Just part of Harrow’s aura, one could say.

“Zanuka,” they repeat, having heard of Alad V’s project. Breaking down Warframes to make a new weapon. The Red Veil is right about the Corpus, maybe. Not even tolerating the “good” ones, like Glast and his followers.

Despite this Harrow’s claims, the Wolf’s grip on his hammer doesn’t slack, and his sole red eye continues to keep close watch of the other’s moves. “Curious…?” he echoes, a frown forming beneath his mask. One could be curious and looking for a fight. The two weren’t mutually exclusive, nor was there any indication Harrow’s interest could change.

“Not a lab rat.”

“Not a scientist,” Rell counters. And he had been a lab rat. He falters, memories flicking through his mind.

He’s not sure why being curious and saying he’s not there for a fight didn’t put the Wolf at more ease. After running down the possibilities in his head, he thinks perhaps the Warframe is putting him off. Some don’t like to see Harrow so much, after all.

After a pause, the lights in Harrow dim and there’s a flash before Rell’s form appears in front of the Warframe. A child, shaved hair, dark, tired eyes. But not quite solid, a close look reveals that Rell is somewhat translucent, as if a ghost.

Since breaking free of Alad V’s influence, the Tenno weren’t of any particular concern to the Wolf. For the most part, they seemed to leave him and his pack alone. A few seemed keen on proving themselves by fighting him, and fewer yet seemed interested in capturing him. While most interactions with them ended with a fight, he didn’t hold it against them. If anything, the Tenno were one of the few who could give him a good fight in the system, and it was always nice to have a little work out from time to time. Still, as a faction, their morals and philosophies varied too wildly to regard meeting one with anything less than skepticism. 

It’s this skepticism that the Wolf greets Rell with when he happens upon the lone Tenno while scouting for resources. Naturally, he’s ready to fight as soon as he lays eyes on them, but he doesn’t attack. Instead, he’s thrown off by the Tenno… holding his hand up? The Wolf braces himself for one of their mysterious attacks, but none comes. Is it a greeting?

“Tenno,” He states, his voice a low growl as he stares down at the warframe.

He’s not attacking, which encourages Rell enough to take a small step forward, placing a hand on his chest. “Harrow...” Their voice is soft, distant. Not quite all there.

It’d be hard to say he’s not a Tenno now, because all Warframes are seen as Tenno, so he doesn’t dispute the identification. But he doesn’t like being greeted as one.

Rell’s heard whispers of the Wolf from the Tenno. The radio lady told stories about him. But in truth, he takes the Tenno’s words with a grain of salt, even now. Palladino and the Red Veil didn’t help much in clarifying anything about the Wolf because they didn’t have much of an opinion. Maybe the Steel Meridian would have more thoughts, being Grineer too. But he can’t exactly call them up right now, running into the Wolf when he’s out by himself.

Seeking solace

[ @harrowingvessel ]

The sun is rising high above the sky when Schmidt notices the growing rigidness within his Warframe. It was like a person turning into stone, and Schmidt found that sort of comical each time he woke. What wasn’t comical was the immense feeling of loneliness that would wash over him as soon as his guardian was put to rest. Even when transferred, Lunaris was as silent as a mouse. Schmidt couldn’t be mad, but he missed the company of his brother. 

Even when they’d get into fights over the small stuff and saying things that he’d regret when he was real little. Bronwyn was always there for him, no matter what. He missed how he’d pat his head and ruffle his hair, the playful shoves, and playground insults thrown his way on a hot summer’s eve. Now? Things were bleak, bloody, and wrong. He wasn’t a soldier, someone who’s supposed to be equipped for gunfire and watching people getting ripped to shreds at his hands. 

It was like a nightmare he couldn’t accept was happening. Schmidt doesn’t want to keep at it, but, he doesn’t want to leave either. How could he? He owes it to his Warframe that he’s still alive. God. Why did he feel so helpless? It made him furrow and frown as he walked by himself through the Cetus. He had some fish for Tai-Luk to cut up, and then after that, he’d probably walk around the plaza for another hour and a half before calling it a day. Schmidt stretches his arms up to the sky, before heading to the Fisher, on his way there, he had spotted someone peculiar.  A Warframe he hasn’t seen yet by the looks of it. They look regal, with the gold trim that compliments the red and black of their armor. When the order is said and done, he thinks that he’d probably check his codex to identify it. 

Rell was coming from a visit with Onkko, the Quills having heard of him and wanted to share information. It hadn’t been as productive a meeting as he had hoped--Rell had difficulty wrapping his head around Onkko’s ideas and not being allowed to enter with Harrow had been stressful.

Maybe some other time. Maybe getting to know the rest of the Ostrons would help--Cetus was an odd place to him. While there were Grineer just outside the gates, neither the Red Veil nor the Steel Meridian had much activity here, which meant Rell had heard precious little about Cetus before reconnecting with the Tenno.

Frihd wasn’t exactly one to squander lost opportunities, but he didn’t exactly have many options when it came to his.. Er, sanctions.

Though, he does lift his head and turn it to face the person who’s in the general vicinity.   Right. He’s still   (by technicality)   an ‘ally’ of the Tenno.   The betrayers.   Or rather, the ones who brought the golden freaks crashing to the ground.

Hm.

“Yes, that would be me. Unfortunately, my stocks have run a bit thin as of late; all I have are pieces of old mining and cutting tools - surplus Serros, Quantas, Spectras, and the like - all smuggled out of the wreckage on Europa.” The merchant was quite confident in his stock; Corpus is as Corpus does, after all. “If that doesn’t interest you, I have some supply of Oxium and Fieldron, albeit in limited numbers.”

Pause.   “Er- That is, if you’re interested in such things.”   He closes out the offer with a small huff of anxiety.

“Mmm... Fieldron...” Rell’s voice comes out in an uncertain tone. He knows that’s what he needs, but it’s throwing him off to see Frihd.

the funniest thing in the world to me is that alad v, who’s been studying warframes for some time, is convinced they navigate primarily by smell

That’s not what Excalibur is supposed to look like, he thinks. Corpus technology... One of Alad V’s creations? He tilts his head and though Harrow’s helmet is in a fixed shape, the sense of wariness or skepticism is there.